Outsourcing

Council OKs contracts to manage pools

Gahanna City Council approved legislation April 7 to outsource pool and concession operations to Columbus Pool Management and Cardinal Vending & Concessions, respectively.

The city will pay $191,000 annually to Columbus Pool Management for operations, and a concessions contract with Cardinal requires the concessionaire to pay the city 6 percent of gross revenue.

The net cost of contracting is expected to be $189,000 (broken out by a cost of $191,000 to Columbus Pool Management and revenues of $2,000 through the contract with Cardinal) in 2014, whereas direct in-house operations were projected to cost $194,500.

Council didn't comment about the change during the meeting, but parks and recreation director Tony Collins previously said the move made good business sense.

In addition to an expected small savings to contract out the service, he said, the indirect costs would bring the biggest savings by allowing city parks and recreation staff to focus on expansion of sustainable, revenue-generating areas.

Collins said the city would maintain operations at the pool's front desk and office. Council approved related legislation, changing a recreation specialist position to recreation supervisor.

"Early bird" rates to the Gahanna Swimming Pool and Hunters Ridge Pool are available through April 25. Those discount membership rates are $140 for one person, $190 for two people and $225 for a family of three or more. The early bird membership rate for a junior pass for ages 3-10 and seniors ages 55 and older is $70.

In other council business, Mayor Becky Stinchcomb swore in new police officer Bryan Kovalik.

He previously served in the U.S. Air Force for six years, working as a military police officer at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne, Wyo.

Kovalik, his wife, Nicole, and their 4-year-old son, Blake, recently moved to Johnstown. Kovalik is from the Akron area.

"He'll go into a field-training program next week," said Dennis Murphy, police chief. "We're excited about that."

Stinchcomb announced the recycling event, Gahanna Cleans Green, to be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the City Hall parking lot, 200 S. Hamilton Road.

Residents may drop off their family and household records for shredding, as well as computers and other electronic devices for recycling.

Stinchcomb also announced the death of former longtime city employee Ed Corbett. He was 63.

He worked for the city for 25 years, from March 1981 to April 2006. He was hired as a zoning officer and then was appointed to building and heating inspector in September 1988.

Stinchcomb said he continued to visit City Hall, bringing mint cookie treats to staff members.

Council member Karen Angelou said she was sad to hear of Corbett's death following emergency surgery.

"He was a wonderful employee for many, many years," she said. "My deepest sympathy to his family."

A celebration-of-life service was April 9 at Schoedinger Worthington Chapel.

Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the Homeless Families Foundation, 33 N. Grubb St., Columbus, 43215.